


Jubilee's Story

by hearth_goddess



Series: we're a family. we stick together [2]
Category: Cats - Andrew Lloyd Webber
Genre: Adoption, Child Abandonment, Foster Care, M/M, ships are mainly all background
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:26:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24688345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hearth_goddess/pseuds/hearth_goddess
Summary: The story of how a little curly-haired girl came to live with the Deuteronomy-Jones family.
Relationships: Demeter/Munkustrap (Cats), Mr. Mistoffelees/Rum Tum Tugger (Cats)
Series: we're a family. we stick together [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1765810
Comments: 3
Kudos: 17





	Jubilee's Story

**Author's Note:**

> A note on Taylor Bast: This character is Exotica in this storyline. I really wanted to include her in this story, as I absolutely adore her character, but I absolutely did not want to use the name "Exotica". Her name is a tribute to the wonderful icon who played her in the 1998 film, Femi Taylor (a gorgeous and insanely talented woman who is also one of my favorite Bombalurina actresses! She also has played Tantomile!), and her last name comes from my headcanon for Exotica's Second Name!

In the Deuteronomy-Jones household, right above the fireplace, there were picture frames arranged carefully, each frame depicting a different number of children throughout the years.

One picture frame held a very special photograph, from a very special moment. 

Jubilee was only six when her mother took her to the park. 

“Stay here, Jubilee.” Her mother said, patting her curly hair with a smile, the first smile that Jubilee had seen on her mother’s face in a very, very long time. “You have your backpack, right?” 

The little girl nodded before cocking her head curiously as she sat on the bench. “Where are you going, Mommy?” 

“I’m going to run an errand.” Her mother replied. “Now, you don’t move, okay?” 

“Okay, Mommy!” Jubilee said brightly, kicking her feet excitedly. 

Her mother’s smile grew, and she left the park, leaving Jubilee on the bench. 

As the minutes passed, Jubilee’s excitement grew. 

Perhaps her mommy was going to bring her a treat! She had been doing very well in school, and her teachers were very impressed with her! 

Maybe her mommy was getting her a new toy for her birthday! It had been the week before, but Jubilee didn’t mind that her mommy had forgotten, since she worked very hard all day. 

But the minutes turned into hours, and the morning turned into afternoon, and Jubilee’s mommy was nowhere to be found. 

“Excuse me, little girl, are you okay?” a woman asked, approaching Jubilee with concern in her eyes. 

Jubilee nodded with a happy smile, hugging her backpack tightly in her arms. “I’m just waiting for my mommy! She had to go get something really quick!” 

The woman studied Jubilee for a brief moment before turning and rejoining her own children, walking away from the park. Jubilee simply hummed to herself as she waited for her mommy, not moving from her spot on the bench, because that’s where her mommy told her to stay, and that’s where she’d wait. 

She took out her favorite book from her backpack, a rather old copy of _Alice in Wonderland_ , and she happily began to read through the book as she waited. 

However, when the sun began to set and the temperature grew colder, Jubilee became frightened, and she tucked her books away, pulled her knees up to her chest, and drew the over-sized jacket she was wearing tightly around her body, trying to stay warm as she shivering slightly. 

As much as she didn’t want to believe it, Jubilee realized that maybe, just maybe, her mommy wasn’t coming back. 

###### 

On the Streets

Even though she knew in the back of her mind that her mother wasn’t coming back for her, Jubilee still held out a glimmer of hope that one day, her mother would come back to get her. 

So, after two days of waiting on the bench for her mother to return, Jubilee realized that she needed to find something to eat, and something to do in order to stay awake and to survive. As much as the six-year-old hated to do it, she waited around restaurants, reading one of the three books in her backpack in order to look innocent and occupied. 

As soon as people would get up to either pay or use the restroom, Jubilee ran to their table and grabbed any food she could off of the table, whether it was the basket of bread or a few bites of whatever was left on the plates. 

If she wasn’t able to steal food left on the tables, Jubilee would sit down outside a popular shopping center or another park, and she would simply beg. 

She hated doing it, but she knew that she had to eat, and she hated having to steal her food. 

Occasionally, some kind person would drop a few bills into Jubilee’s backpack, and once in a while, someone would hand her actual food. If she received bagged food, like chips, Jubilee simply stored them in her backpack until she was in absolute dire need for something to eat. 

However, no matter where she went during the day, Jubilee always returned to the same park, and to the same bench. She slept on the park bench, still hoping just a little bit as the days went on that her mother would come back and find her. 

Along with struggling to keep herself fed and hydrated, Jubilee also had to deal with other, older children who also lived on the streets. While Jubilee kept to herself most of the time, some of the older children who hung around the restaurants would attempt to take the food or money she had gotten throughout the day. Jubilee had taken to sleeping with her backpack strapped to her chest, her arms wrapped tightly around the pack and holding it close. 

Not only did it hold whatever food and money she had gotten during the day, it also held Jubilee’s books and her few belongings, such as a scarf and her favorite plush rabbit. Jubilee didn’t have much, but the things she did have she cherished more than anything. 

After a few months had passed, the police happened upon the little curly-haired girl sleeping on the bench in the park, and Jubilee had been startled by the sudden tap on her shoulder. 

“Hey, sweetie, where are your parents?” the kind-looking officer said, and Jubilee tensed. 

“I don’t know. My mommy left me here and I don’t know where she is.” 

The officer’s eyes widened slightly, and she stood, holding out a hand. “Do you want to come with me, sweetie? I can bring you somewhere safe and warm if you’d like.” 

Jubilee held her backpack tightly. “Is it safe?” 

“It sure is.” The officer replied with a small smile. Jubilee hesitantly took her hand, and she was led to a police cruiser. “What’s your name?” 

Jubilee waited as the officer opened the back door. “Jubilee.” 

The officer helped to buckle Jubilee into the seat, before climbing into the driver’s seat and driving away from the park. “How long have you been staying at the park, Jubilee?” 

“I don’t know.” Jubilee said quietly, anxiety filling her. “My mommy said she was going to run an errand, and she told me to wait in the park, so I was waiting for her.” She wrapped her arms around herself, looking down. “Did my mommy not love me?” 

The officer sighed. “I don’t know who wouldn’t love a sweet little girl like you.” 

Jubilee looked out the window, leaning her forehead on the glass as the car drove past the shops and restaurants. “I guess Mommy wasn’t happy.” 

###### 

Foster

As the van pulled into the driveway, Mistoffelees still wasn’t sure what had drawn him to the specific foster home in front of him. 

After talking for quite some time, he and Tugger had decided to adopt once again, this time to find a sibling for Hestia that was around her age. Their youngest was a shy, quiet girl who tended to cling to her siblings or fathers whenever they went out, and both Tugger and Mistoffelees were hoping that perhaps having someone her age around would bring her out of her shell, especially after the Daltons moved away. 

They also had been talking about adopting children since the day they got married, and even after adopting five children, Tugger and Mistoffelees still felt that need to take another child in. 

“What are we doing here, Papa?” Hestia asked, holding onto Mistoffelees’ hand tightly as they entered the home. 

“Well, remember how Daddy and I were talking about bringing home another sibling for all of you?” Mistoffelees asked, and Hestia nodded. “Well, we wanted to find someone, whether it’s a little boy or a little girl, around your age.” 

Hestia’s eyes widened slightly. “Really?” 

Mistoffelees chuckled. “Yes, really. We’re going to go into this house, and we’re going to see if there’s anyone that you get along with.” 

The father and daughter duo entered one of the larger rooms, and Mistoffelees was greeted by a kind-looking woman. 

“Mr. Deuteronomy-Jones, welcome.” The supervisor said with a warm smile, and Mistoffelees shook her hand with a smile in return. “My name is Taylor Bast.” As the two adults talked, Hestia slipped away from her papa, looking around curiously. 

She walked towards the back of the room, where there was a little reading nook, and she realized that it wasn’t completely empty. 

There was a girl sitting there, with curly brown hair, reading a book that was titled _Peter Rabbit_. 

“Hi.” Hestia said shyly, and the girl looked up with wide eyes. “I’m Hestia.” 

The girl slowly put her book down. “I’m Jubilee.” 

Hestia smiled slightly. “Can I sit next to you?” 

“Okay.” Jubilee said, hesitance in her eyes. Hestia sat close to the other girl, looking at the book curiously. 

“What are you reading?” she asked. 

“It’s _Peter Rabbit_.” Jubilee replied. “It’s one of my favorite books.” 

“Oh, my papa likes to read that book to me sometimes!” Hestia said excitedly. “I really like it.” 

Jubilee relaxed slightly. “Really?” She put the book down, and pointed at the bookshelves. “They let me put all the books on the shelves, and I get to read stories whenever I want. It’s supposed to help me learn to read and write, even though I already know how to.” 

Hestia beamed. “What are your other favorite books?” 

Mistoffelees was only slightly worried when he couldn’t see Hestia around him. He spotted her red hair peeking out from behind one of the shelves, and he couldn’t help but laugh slightly. 

“Who is that?” he asked, motioning towards the girl laughing and reading with his daughter. 

“Her name is Jubilee.” Taylor said, sadness in her eyes. “We found her all alone in a park. Her clothes were filthy, and she had been caught stealing food from tables at restaurants. We asked about her family, and all she said was that she was waiting for her mother to come pick her up.” Mistoffelees’ eyes widened, and he looked back towards the two girls, noticing the way that Jubilee seemed to move closer to Hestia, needing the affection. “She hasn’t seen her mother in weeks. We… we think she was abandoned. If her mother really did lose her, she would have contacted the authorities by now, but… no one has reported the girl missing.” 

For a brief moment, Mistoffelees wondered if Munkustrap had been the officer to find the little girl, but his thoughts were quickly distracted by Hestia bursting into giggles as the other girl laughed. 

“God, the poor girl.” He whispered softly, shaking his head with sympathetic eyes. He couldn’t help but smile slightly at the sight, however, realizing that something magical was happening between the two little girls. “What is she like?” 

Taylor sighed. “She’s quite a reclusive little thing. She’s extremely wary around the other children, even around my Cori and Tanto, who are both quiet and very cautious children, and doesn’t really trust any of the adults. To help her out, I gave her the duty of shelving all the books in our little library, just so that she’d have something to do. She seems to love it, though, and it’s really helped her vocabulary and writing.” 

Mistoffelees hummed in acknowledgement, not taking his eyes off the two young girls. He watched as they sat close together, their shoulders touching, as they each held one end of the book, whispering and laughing together at whatever story they were reading. Mistoffelees’ heart warmed, and he knew exactly what he had to do. 

He slowly walked towards the two girls, kneeling down in front of them, and he noticed how Jubilee seemed to hide slightly behind Hestia. 

“Papa!” Hestia said excitedly, her blue eyes shining. “This is Jubilee! Jojo, this is my papa! He has a really long, silly name, but everyone calls him Misto.” 

Mistoffelees laughed, and held out a hand to Jubilee. “It’s very nice to meet you, Jubilee.” 

The curly-haired girl cautiously shook his hand. “Hi.” 

“I see you two are getting along very well.” Mistoffelees remarked, crossing his legs and sitting down in front of the girls. 

“Hestia’s really nice.” Jubilee said quietly, and Mistoffelees looked at his daughter lovingly. 

“Jubilee, I have four other children at home. Would you like to see a picture of them?” he asked, and Jubilee nodded. Mistoffelees took out his wallet, and showed Jubilee the picture of Hades and the triplets. “That’s our oldest, Hades, and the triplets, Thetis, Apollo, and Iris.” 

Jubilee pointed at Tugger with a small frown. “Who’s that?” 

Mistoffelees smiled. “That’s my husband, Tugger.” 

“They look really nice.” Jubilee remarked. 

“They are!” Hestia added happily. 

Mistoffelees put away his wallet and reached out, taking Jubilee’s hands in his. “Jubilee, Hestia and I came here today because Tugger and I want to adopt again.” Jubilee’s eyes widened slightly. “You see, we have our five children that we love very much, but something seems to be missing from our house. And I think that something is a curly-haired little girl who loves books.” 

“Really?” Jubilee breathed, a hesitant hope in her eyes. 

“Really.” Mistoffelees nodded. 

Hestia bounced excitedly. “Do you wanna be my sister, Jojo?” 

Jubilee’s eyes filled with tears. “You want me?” 

Mistoffelees’ heart broke, but he reached out, pulling Jubilee into a hug. “Absolutely, honey.” 

Jubilee sniffled, and Hestia threw her arms around her, hugging her tightly. 

“We’re gonna be sisters!” she giggled. Mistoffelees chuckled and stood, turning around to face Taylor whose face had lit up. 

“My husband and I have already been approved for adoption, as well as licensed, and our home and family has been approved. We have also been speaking with you and your agency for quite some time, as you know.” He said, brushing himself off and clasping his hands together. “How long will it take to adopt Jubilee?” 

The woman’s face lit up. “I can have the paperwork sent over to your lawyer, as well as a copy sent to you and your husband within the week so that you both are able to sign it. It may take a month or so for you to be completely cleared, but everything should go well.” 

Mistoffelees looked back down at his daughter, who was chattering away like a bird as Jubilee wiped away tears and beamed, and he smiled gently. “Whatever it takes, we’ll do.” 

Jubilee reached out, tugging on Mistoffelees’ sleeve gently. She looked up at him with wide eyes, and her voice was tiny and sad. “My mommy isn’t coming back for me, is she?” 

“I’m afraid not, sweetie.” Mistoffelees said, pulling her close and hugging her tightly. “But it’s going to be okay. We’re going to be your new family. We’ll take care of you from now on.” 

“Promise you won’t leave me?” Jubilee asked, her eyes filling with tears as she buried her face in Mistoffelees’ shoulder. 

Mistoffelees ran a hand over Jubilee’s curly hair, exchanging a look with Hestia, who had a strong glimmer in her eye. “We promise, sweetheart. You’ll never be alone again.” 

###### 

Coming Home

One month later, Mistoffelees smiled down at the little seven-year-old in front of him. “Are you ready to go, hon?” 

“Yeah.” Jubilee said in a quiet voice, and Hestia took her hand excitedly, the redheaded girl beaming happily. Mistoffelees picked up Jubilee’s small bag, and held out his hand to the curly-haired girl. Jubilee hesitantly took his hand, and the trio walked out of the building towards the car. 

Hestia skipped beside Jubilee, swinging their hands as Mistoffelees opened the door to the car. “Alright, my loves! In you go!” 

The black-haired man picked up Hestia first, making her shriek with delight as she was all but thrown into her car seat. He then picked up Jubilee, and gave her a tight hug before putting her into the other car seat and closing the door. 

“You have a big car.” Jubilee said, looking around as Mistoffelees opened the driver’s door. He chuckled, sitting down and putting on his seat belt. 

“Well, now we have eight people in our family!” he said with a fond smile. “We’ve got to fit everybody!” 

Jubilee giggled, and looked at Hestia. “What are your… what are our siblings like?” 

“Well, there’s Hades, and he’s the oldest. He takes care of all of us when Papa and Daddy are at the studio, or if we spend the night at Uncle Straps’!” Hestia said happily, kicking her feet back and forth as Mistoffelees drove. “Apollo, Iris, and Thetis are the triplets, and they’re funny. Lo’s silly, and he likes to play pranks and be loud. Rissie likes to dance, and she’s always super excited and happy all the time. Tissie is sometimes really quiet, but she reads stories really well and she’s not as loud as Lo and Rissie.” 

“They’re all very excited to meet you, Jubilee.” Mistoffelees added with a soft smile, and Jubilee returned it shyly. “I’m excited to meet them too. But I’m a little scared.” She said quietly. 

Hestia reached across the little space between the seats and grabbed onto Jubilee’s hand. “It’s okay! They’re really nice, and I promise they’re not scary!” 

Mistoffelees glanced in the rearview mirror, giving Jubilee a reassuring smile. “They don’t bite, hon. I’m positive they’re going to absolutely love you!” 

“We’re home!” Hestia squealed, and Jubilee froze, eyes wide, as Tugger walked out of the house. He approached the car and opened Hestia’s door, the redhead beaming and jumping out into his arms with a giggle. “Daddy!” 

Tugger laughed, catching his daughter and hugging her tightly. “Hello there, little princess!” 

Hestia’s smile nearly split her face as Tugger put her down. “I got another sister!” 

“I see that.” Tugger replied, smiling softly as he turned back around to the car and looked at Jubilee. “Hey there, sweetie.” 

“Hi.” Jubilee said nervously. Tugger held out his hand, and the curly-haired girl slowly took it, allowing Tugger to lift her up and take her out of the car. Once she was on the ground, he knelt down in front of her. 

“I’m glad you’re here with us, Jubilee.” He said gently, and Jubilee blushed slightly, smiling back at Tugger. 

Hestia took Jubilee’s hand, tugging her towards the house. “Come on! Everyone’s waiting!” 

Jubilee’s smile grew, and she followed Hestia into the house, Mistoffelees and Tugger chuckling as they walked behind the two girls. They walked through the front door, and Jubilee gasped as people jumped out of nowhere and began to cheer. 

Balloons decorated the house, and there was a large sign hanging in the living room that read “Welcome Home!”, and the rest of the kids, along with the extended family, were all grinning. 

Hades stepped forward, a happy smile on his face as he held out a hand. “Welcome home, Jubilee.” 

“Did you do all this… for me?” Jubilee asked with awe in her voice. Apollo, Thetis, and Iris rushed forward, the girls hugging Jubilee tightly. 

“Of course!” Apollo said with a grin. “You’re family!” 

Jubilee’s eyes filled with shocked tears, and she slowly returned Iris and Thetis’ hug, sniffing slightly. Hades, Hestia, and Apollo joined the hug, surrounding Jubilee, and the five siblings happily hugged their newest family member. 

Tugger and Mistoffelees watched with smiles on their faces, and Munkustrap approached his younger brother. 

“So, is this the last sibling for the kids?” he asked. 

Tugger laughed, wrapping an arm around Mistoffelees’ waist and pulling his husband close. “Maybe. We’ll see.”

**Author's Note:**

> please note, I am absolutely not an expert on adoptions. I pretty much put an estimate together from doing as much research as I could online, so if I got something wrong, I'm really sorry!
> 
> As always, thank-you to DC_JellicleQueen33, KineticJellyfish, and @queencurlycrown for their amazing support and input on this AU! 
> 
> Obviously, I have to give a super special, MASSIVE thank-you to @queencurlycrown for creating Jubilee, and letting me incorporate her into this AU that the four of us have come to love so much! 
> 
> The next story for this AU will come soon, so be sure to follow me on Tumblr (@uppastthejelliclemoon) for updates!


End file.
